Oil well fires are caused by natural events, equipment malfunction, or war. Firefighters must clear materials around the well and redirect the leaked oil or gas upwards. Chemicals can suppress oxygen, but stopping fuel is difficult. Specially trained firefighting crews and private companies handle fires.
An oil well fire is a fire at the site of an oil or gas well. With ample supplies of fuel that renew under pressure, fire can burn hot and fierce for an extended period of time. Approaches to oil well fire management depend on the fire, location, and well characteristics. Fire crews must bring the fire under control for safety reasons and to prevent pollution, as the controlled burns of crude oil can generate significant environmental hazards, including polyaromatic hydrocarbons and dioxins.
There can be a number of causes for an oil well fire. Sometimes a natural event like a lightning strike is the trigger, while in others, malfunctioning or improperly maintained equipment causes a fire. In times of war, combat can create oil well fires when oil fields are accidentally hit, and sometimes the military sets oil wells on fire to prevent the other side from accessing them or to create hazards that they will need to eliminate before proceeding. This was seen in Iraq in 1991 during the Gulf War.
Oil well fires can burn very hot and can also burn deep inside the well, where firefighters cannot reach. Fire management usually involves clearing materials around the well and attempting to direct the leaked oil or gas upwards, because a pillar of fire will be easier to attack than a smoldering or underground fire. a burning oil spill on the ground. It can take hours or days to clear the area around the well and redirect the direction of the spill.
Chemicals are available for oil well fire situations. These can suppress the oxygen in the air to stop fire burning. Stopping the available fuel is more difficult, as the well will continue to gush out of control until personnel can plug it, and this is difficult when it is on fire. Sometimes it is possible to remove the wellhead, install an extension device, and then flood the device with inert gas or sludge to stop the leak. Another option is the use of relief wells to draw fuel from the burning well or to use as a heavy sludge introduction point to stop the leak.
Oil companies have specially trained firefighting crews to handle fires, and there are also private companies that offer oil well firefighting services. The training involves learning about how oil wells work and how to deal with different types of wells, as well as an understanding of the environmental and human health risks associated with an oil well fire.
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